Method and apparatus for hydraulically separating materials



Sept. 29, F. PARDEE 1,825,157

METHD AND APPARATUS FOR HYDRAULICALLY .SEPARATING MATERIALS Filed Deo. 5, 1926 Patented Sept. 29, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT lOFFICE FRANK PARDEE, OF HAZLETON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 ANTHRACITE SEPA- RATOR COMPANY, OF HAZLETON, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VANIA METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR HYDRAULICALLY SEPARATING MATERIALS Application illed December 8, 1926. Serial No. 152,322.

This invention relates to a novel method and apparatus for separating materials of different specific gravities.

The invention will be apparent from the 5 following specification when read in connection with the accompanying drawings and will be defined with particularity in the appended claims.

In the drawings- Fig. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic vertical sectional elevation showing a suitable apparatus embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a partial plan of Fig. 1.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 10 represents a vessel carried by suitable supports 12, said vessel being adapted to ho d a whirling body liquid such as indicated at 14. The liquid may be water supplied at a high velocity from a pipe 16 which enters the vessel on a tangent as indicated in Fig. 2. The body of water 14 may be said to be a whirlpool whose outer boundary is defined by the wall 18 of the vessel and whose inner boundary takes the form indicated by the dotted lines 20.

The mixed materials, for example, coal and slate, are fed through a pipe 22 to a substantiall cone shaped distributing member 24 whic discharges the mixed materials over the outer edge 26 thereof to the outer upper part of the whirl ool.

An outlet port 28 is ormed in the bottom of the vessel and projecting through this port substantially in the center of the vessel is a pipe 30 whose upper edge 32 it is noted is spaced above the outlet port 28. The pipe 30 is surrounded by a sleeve 34 which may be adjustably secured to the pipe in different adjusted positions by means of a rack and pinion 36 or other similar devices. The upper edge 38 of the sleeve defines the zone at which the lighter class of material such as coal is discharged. By adjusting the sleeve along the pipe it is understood that this discharge point can be varied.

A tank 40 is located below the vessel 10 and in this tank there is an inclined chute 41 which receives the heavy material which falls through the port 28. The tank 40 also retains a body of water or other liquid indicated at 42 which is provided for the purpose of preventing the water in the vessel 10 rom fiowing directly out and carrying coal or the lighter material along with it.

A conveyor 44 having a boot 45 is provided in ahe tank 40 for carrying off the heavy material received from the chute 41 such as slate or other impurity which is discharged over a spout 46 into a suitable chute or storage bin. Located below the tank 40 is a filter 43 and a second tank 48 which is adapted to receive the sludge freed or filtered liquid discharged from the filter. The coal or lighter material is cau ht on a conveyor belt 50 which is prefera ly per` forated so as to permit the water to permeate or How therethrough. The conveyor 5() empties into a discharge chute 52 leading to a suitable storage bin not shown.

The water or other liquid caught by the tank 48 is drawn through pipe 54 by way of pipe 58 to the pipe 16 thus the water is used over and over.

In the apparatus illustrated, it is noted that the wall 18 of the vessel 10 is of substantially parabolic contour in section. I have demonstrated in practice that such a shape produces good results although it is understood I am not limited thereto. In operation, the mixed materials are fed through pipe 22 where they spread out from the center of cone 24 and roll down into the outer part of the whirlpool. While the mixed materials are held in suspension in the liquid body, separation of the lighter from the heavier takes place. There is produced sort of an upward or inward current in the path indicated by the shape of the arrows This current tends to lift the coal or lighter material and carry it over the edge 38 of the outlet pipe. The slate or other material being heavier is not lifted over the edge of the outlet pipe and thus it flows gently downward by gravity and out through port 28 and into the tank 40 where it is carried away by the conveyor 44. The coal or lighter material as above explained is carried off by the conveyor 50 and chute 52 to a suitable storage bin.

An overfiow pipe 60 connects the tank 40 with the filter 43. This overflow pipe has a plurality of branches 62 therein each of which is provided with a control valve so that the level of the liquid in the -tank 40 can be regulated or varied at will byl opening or shutting the valves at different elevations. This regulation of the liquid level makes 1t possible to produce an upward current through the slate discharge opening 28. Such upward current will tend to prevent the coal from discharging through this opening and at the same time assist the coal to flow into discharge pipe 34. Due to the greater specific gravity of the slate, this comparatively slow upward current will not tend to prevent the slate from falling through said discharge opening 28. f

While I have described the invention quite specifically it is to be understood that the specification and drawings are to be interpreted in an illustrative rather than a limiting sense since various modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departin from the invention as defined in the appende claims.

What I claim is -said vessel, a central outlet for one class of material and an outer annular outlet at the lower central extremity of said vessel for another class of material.

2. An apparatus of the character described including a vessel whose walls are curved in vertical section, the major diameter of the vessel being greatest at the top and said walls converging to a lower central outlet, the vessel retaining a whirling body of liquid, a cone-like member for distributing mixed materials to the upper peripheral zone of said whirling body, an annular outlet for withdrawing the heavy material and an outlet member projecting through said annular outlet for discharging the lighter material.

3. An apparatus of the class described comprising a vessel having a converging wall, means for supplying a liquid thereto on a tangent so as to produce a whirling body, means for distributinr mixed materials around the outer periphery of said whirling body, an annular outlet port in the lower part of said vessel for the heavier material,

and an outlet 'pipe opening into the lower central art of said vessel adapted to carry off the li hter material.

4. n apparatus of the class described com prising a vessel having a converging wall, means for supplying a liquid thereto on a tangent so as to produce a whirling body, means for feeding the mixed materials to said whirling body in an annular stream, an

Y outlet port 1n the lower part of said vessel for the heavier material, and an outlet pipe opening into the lower central part of said vessel adapted to carry oif the lighter material, a tank below but connected to said vessel adapted to receive the heavier material and liquid discharged therewith and means follischarging the heavy material from said ta `adapted to receive the heavy material and liquid discharged therewith, a second tank located below said pipe adapted to receive the liquid discharged and means for conveying the lighter material to a suitable discharge point.

6. An apparatus of the class described comprising a Vessel having a converging wall, means for supplying a liquid thereto on a tangent so as to produce a whirling body, means for uniformly distributing mixed materials around the outer portion of said whirling body, an annular outlet port in the lower part of said vessel for the heavier material, and an upwardly extending outlet pipe opening into the lower central part of said vessel adapted to carry oif the lighter material, a tank below said vessel adapted to receive the heavy material and liquid discharged therewith, a second tank located below said ipe adapted to receive the liquid dischargeii and the lighter material, means for conveying the lighter material to a suitable discharge point and means for withdrawing the liquid from the last named tank yand delivering it to said supply means.

7. The method of separating materials of different specific gravities which consists in discharging a stream of liquid into a vessel tangently thereof to impart a whirling motion to said liquid body, uniformly distributing mixed material and subsequently delivering it to the peripheral zone of said whirling body, discharging the heavier material in a whirling annular stream from the bottom of said vessel and discharging the lighter material from the center of the whirling liquid.

8. The method of separating materials of different specific gravities which consists in discharging a stream of liquid into a vessel tangently thereof to impart whirling motion to said liquid body, feeding the mixed material in a substantially annular stream to the peripheral zone of said whirling body, discharging the heavier material in a whirling my name.

FRANK PARDEE.

GII 

